Method of and apparatus for clarifying liquids



Dec. 1.6, 1941. s TQLMAN 2,266,097

METHOD oF AND APPARATUS Fon CLARIFYING LIQUIDs Filed March 11', 1958 s sheets-sheevt 1 ATT'Y Dec.v 16, 1941. s. l.. ToLMAN 2,266,097

METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS Fon CLARIFYING LIQUIDS Filed March 11, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 shame@ /N VEN TOR SAMUEL L ToLMAN,

A TT'Y.

Dec. 16, 1941. s. L. TOLMAN Y 2,266,097

METHOD oF AND APARATUs FOR CLARIFYING LIQUIDS Filed March 11, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 /M/E/v TOR Patented Dec. 16,- 1941 METHOD OFAND APPARATUS FOR `CLAIJFYING LIQUIDS Samuel L. Tolman, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The'Jeil'rey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application March 11, 193s, serial-No. 195,340

4 claims. (Cl. 259-68) This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for clarifying liquids and particularly for removing suspended solids found in liquid,

such as city water supplies, sewage and industrial wastes, by forming the suspended solids into ocks by a occulating action and then allowing the occulated solids to settle in a settling tank or compartment.

An object of the invention is to provide an` eicient and economical use of chemicals to produce settling of suspended solids in liquids in a minimum of time.

Another object of the invention is to maintain all the liquid in the occulating compartments the necessary length of time while reducing to a minimum the size of said compartments for any given capacity.

Other obects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figs. 1 and 2, placed `end to end, show appa-N ratus comprising'my invention which is capable of calrving4 out the method of my invention;

Figs. 3 and 4, placed end to end, comprlsea longitudinal vertical sectional view of the apparatus of Figs. l and 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figs. 6 and'lare transverse sectional views taken on the lines 6-6 and 1-1, respectively, of

' Fig. 3 of the drawings; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing a modiiied form of opening between successive compartments of the flocculator.

Referring particularly Yco Figs. 1 to '1, inclusive, of the drawings, there is illustrated apparatus comprising my invention which embodies one means .for carrying out the method of my invention. Said apparatus comprises a settling or sedimentation tank comprising side walls 2|, 2|, rear end wall 22, bottom 23 and front wall 24, all of which are formed as a monolith of poured concrete. The end wall 22 is provided with an ,eiiluent opening 25 with which is associated an adjustable weir 26 and in front of which is positioned a baille 2'l -to preventlchan-A nelling and prevent any floating material iiowing directly out of the opening 25 throughwhich the treated water ows. 'Opening 25 Yleads to an eiiiuent trough .28 which may be common with a plurality of settling tanks similar to the" tank 20. The front wall 24 is provided with a central notch 29 with which is associated a weir 30 in front of which is a baille plate 3| to prevent channelling,

or short-circuiting, as hereinafter described. It may be stated `that the front wall 24' of the set- Atling or sedimentation tank 20 also forms the back wall of .a iiocculating tank 32 and that the Weir 30 and baliie 3| are properly a part ofthe flocculator. Y

As best illustrated in Figs. 2, 4 and 5 of the drawings, I provide adjacent to the'forward end of the settling tank 20 a sludge sump 33' which leads to a sludge hopper 34 (see Fig. 5) at one end thereof. Within the settling tank 20 is a scraper conveyormechanism 35 provided with appropriate nights 36 which scrape settled solids or sludge along the bottom 23 of said settling tank 20 and discharge it into'the sludge sump 33.

p Operating within the sludge sump 33 is anl other scraper conveyor 3'| provided with nights 38 adapted to scrape the sludge along the bottom of the sump 33and into the hopper 34. Associated with the sludge`hopper 34 is a sludge pipe 39 which has a branch pipe 40 leading to a sludge well. The' sludge collected in the hopper 34 is withdrawn therefrom either by hydrostatic pressure due to the liquid level in the settling tank 20 or is pumped therefrom in a well known manner. A single electric motor l4| is provided to drive the conveyors 35 and 3l through appropri.

ate drive means 42.

.As above set forth,- the wall 24 is common( with settling tank 20 and occulator tank 32 which, in addition to said wall 24, is formed by a pair of spaced side walls 43, 43, bottom 44and front A Wall 45, all of which are poured as a monolith of concrete with the above described settling tank 20. Front wall 45 is provided with an influent opening 46 in front of whichis a balile 4l to direct the influent solid bearing liquid from the iniiuent trough 48 downwardly into said flocculator tank 32. The settling tank 20 and the occulator tank 32 are placed end to end as may be seen by placing Figs. 1 'and 2 end .to end or Figs. 3 and 4 end to end.

In order to produce a occulation of the solid particles of material contained in turbid water, sewage or industrial wastes, I introduce a c'oagu.- lating reagent into the water to be treated. This reagent maybe aluminum sulphate, lime, f erric sulphate or any other well known occulating reagent. In order to derive the maximum economy from this reagent I divert a portion of the' A influent and mix it very thoroughly, as for exinto the iiocculator tank 32. To this end I provide a flash mixer comprising a container 49 formed of poured concrete as a monolith with the ilocclator tank'32 and having an end wall 50, side walls 5|, front wall 52 and bottom 53. The end wall 58 is an integral portion of the influent trough 48 and is provided with a top opening 54 by which the dilute solution from the ash mixer 49 flows into the owing liquid in the inuent trough 48 and with it into the fiocculator tank 3 2 by way of previouslydescribed influent opening 46. y y

To divert a portion of the influent liquid from the influent trough 48 I provide a by-pass pipe 55 in communication therewith and leading to a chamber 56 formed in the bottom 53 of the flash mixer 49. The front wall 52 of said ash mixer 49 is also provided with a conduit 51 which leads to said chamber 56. A valve |55 is provided to control the liquid ow through pipe 55. 1

Positioned adjacent to said flash mixer 49 and supported by l framework 58 is a concentrated solution pot 59 in which a concentrated solution, which may be varied from 4% to- 25% of coagulating reagent, is formed. The solution pot 59 is provided with a valve controlled drain 60 and -a water inlet pipe 6| which is adjacent to the feed the crystalline reagent to the pot 59 at a variably controllable rate. l

The flash mixer 49 is preferably provided with a cover 65, preferably .made of boards, upon which is mounted an electric motor 66 which drives at a high speed a propeller 81 adjacent an opening between the flash mixer container and the chamber 58. This propeller 61 has a pump partments which I have found to be very satisfactory, though this number may be either increased or reduced. Said partitions 58 divide the flocci'lator tank 32 in'to compartments 69, 18, 1| and within said compartments ss, 1o, 1| and 12 1 comprises a horizontal shaft 11 to which is connected a plurality of radially extending arms 18 carrying paddleboards or slats 19. It will be noted by reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, that the horizontal shafts 11 of all of the agitators are in alignment and are coupled together by appropriate coupling units 80. Said shafts are also preferably supported by appro.

priate journals carried upon transversely extending beams, one of which is seen at 8| in Fig. 7 of the drawings'. Said agitators 13,- 14, 15 and 18 are driven from an electric motor 82 through a speed reducer 83 in chain and sprocket drive mechanism 84.

As illustrated in the drawings, the radial dimensions of the arms 18 of the several agitators 13 to "I6, inclusive, decrease progressively from the compartments 69 to 12,' inclusive. 'I'his provides for the most vigorous agitation in the comaction to elevate the liquid level in flash mixer 49 and is effective to obtain 'a very thorough mixing of the concentrated solution of liquid coagulating reagent and water which flow into the chamber and thence into theY container 49 of said ash mixer. This provides for the making of a relatively dilute solution of coagulating reagent within said flash mixer, one which is found to be very satisfactory to produce coagulation and occulation and ultimate settling of the solids found in the liquid.

It has been found that where a iiocculator tank is made as a single compartment there is a tendency for some of the water to channel or shortcircuit and ow directly from the inlet to the outlet and prevent a thorough agitation of the water, as aconsequence of which the capacity of the flocculators must be made large to produce the required time interval of iiocculation necessary to form flocks of the solid particles, particularly colloidal matter, in the water, which flocks after being formed will settle vin a reasonable length 'of time in the settling tank. I have found that it is possible to reduce the size of both the settling tank and the occulator by forming the flocculator into a plurality of compartments by pro.

drawings, said tank 32 is formed into four com.

partment 69 with a progressive decreasing of agitation in subsequent compartments with a minimum of agitation in the compartment 12. The results are overlapping but apparently take place generally as follows. agulating reagent is precipitated and the precipitate forms in small flakes'or particles. The vigorous agitation insures the maximum precipitation in the minimum of time.

Ihe precipitate in suspension in the liquid then flows into compartment 18 where precipitation continues and is largely concluded. The precipitate ishere fairly vigorously agitated and coagulation takes place whichis the attachment of the suspended solids to the individual precipitated particles.

It is desirable that substantially all the suspended solids become attached to a precipitated particle before ultimate flocculation begins which occulation may be deiined 'as the combination of a plurality of coagulated precipitated particles to which are attached solids previously individually suspended in the liquid. This fairly vigorous agitation insures contact between substantially all the suspended solids, and one or more precipitated particles with the ultimate adhesion or coagulation with one of them. It also prevents the formation of large flocks at this stage ,which if allowed would reduce the total exposed surface area of the precipitated particles with the result that all of the suspended solids would not adhere or coagulate with precipitated particles.

In the iinal compartments 1| and 12 flocculation takes place, with possiblyl an appreciable amount of coagulation in the-former. In said compartments 1| and 12, particularly the latter, the coagulated precipitate, or adhering particles of precipitate and previously suspended solids, combine vor adhere to form -large flocks which will settle in a comparatively short time in the settling tank 28. The reduced agitation in compartments 1| and 12 causes contacting of the smaller flocks which then grow into larger flocksas the agita- In compartment 89 the co- -tion is not severe enough to destroy the formed large flocks.

An important feature of construction of the occulator is the formation of the partitions 68 and this is best seen by reference to Fig. 6 of the drawings. The only way fluid can flow from one compartment to the next, for example from compartment 69 to compartment 10, is through a. restricted opening or conduit forming means 85 along the axis of rotation of the shaft 11 of the agitator mechanism. This structure is. an important feature of my invention. It has been found from experimentation that this prevents channelling` or water short-circuits. As a consequence, substantially all of the water in any compartment remains therein the same length of time and consequently there is a maximum of the desired action in each compartment. This action apparently results due to the centrifugal Each opening 85 is preferably made large` enough so that the water velocity fiowing through it will not result in a nozzle action in any compartment which would carry the liquid too far into the compartment before receiving any agitation. Also a high water velocity would tend to destroy any formed flocks which, if allowed to happen, would tend to negative the results achieved, particularly in the last two compartments.

In Fig. 8 of the drawings I have shown a modification of the 'opening in a partition 68 in that a square opening 86 is provided which may be also employed instead of the round or circular opening 85 illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

In the operation of the -system or apparatus disclosed in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, of the drawings, with the consequent realization of the method of my invention, water or raw liquid 'to be treated for clarification ows in the influent trough 48 in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1), and thence through the influent opening 46 into the first compartment 69 of the flocculator tank'32. A portion of the water to be treated is diverted from the trough 48 by `way of pipe 55 and conveyed to chamber 56 at the bottom of ash mixer 49.v A crystalline reagent, such .as aluminum sulphate, lime, ferric sulphate, or the like, is fed by the feeder 64 at any desired controllable rate into the swirling water in the concentrated solution pot 59 where, dueto the swirling action of the water, it ismixed thoroughly therewith to form a concentrated liquid coagulating reagent which then flows by way of overflow chute 62 from the pot 59 into the chamber 56 of the flash mixer by way of conduit 51. This concentrated solution of coagulating reagent is then thoroughly mixed byl thoroughly agitated by the agitator mechanism 13 primarily to precipitate the coagulating 'reagent.` I'his liquid, along with the precipitated reagent, then flows progressively through the compartments 10, 'Il and 12-where the agitation is continued with progressively decreasing vigor, all the while the precipitating action of the coagulating reagent decreases and the formation and size of the ocks progressively increase so that as the liquid flows over the Weir 30 of the compartment 'I2 and into the settling tank 20,

substantially all of the solid particles in the rawA material will be formed in flocks Which'will fall either directy into the sludge sump 33 or, after a period of time, will settle on the bottom of the settling tank 20 and will be conveyed by the scraper conveyor 35 to said sludge sump 33 from which it will be conveyed by the scraper conveyor 31 to the sludge hopper 34 from which it will, in turn, be removed by way of sludge pipes 39 and 40. The ellluent liquid, free of solids, flows from tank by way of opening 25 and trough 28.

It should be particularly noted that my improvementsare particularly useful for the treatment of raw liquid having in suspension minute solid particles including colloidal matter that cannot be readily removed by sedimentation. The axial out-ow from one compartment to the next cooperates with the agitating mechanism not only to assure a homogeneous mixture `of the coagulating reagent and liquid in each successive comthe agitator 61 with the by-passed water in the ing a diluted solution of coagulating' agent, isA

partment, but also to assure a wide distribution' of the flocks throughout the body of liquid to increase the building up of such flocks due to the agitation alone. That is to say, while the chemical action predominates in the formation of precipitate in the first compartment whichprogressively decreases in subsequent compartments, the mechanical agitation Ipredominates in the building up of the flocks in the last compartment of the flocculator and is progressively less in preceding compartments. However, the arrangement for axial flow of the liquid from one compartment to the next increases not only the efficiency of the chemical treatment in the formation of the precipitate but also increases the emciency of the mechanical agitation in the formation of flocks in each successive compartment.

In some instances, the chemical treatment may be entirely omitted and the apparatus used for progressively less agitation in the successive compartments in -which event the formation of flocks and the building up of the same will be greatly facilitated by reason of the arrangement for; axial flow of the .liquid from one compartment to of my invention is very effective to maintain at a minimum the amount of coagulating reagent required due to the manner in which this coagulating reagent is formed before being fed to the flocculator. Furthermore, the manner of ktreating the raw liquid after the coagulating reagent has been added makes possible a much smaller .size of occulator tank and also a much smaller size of settling tank than has heretofore been required for the same dow.

In companion application for a Method of and' apparatus for separating solids from liquids, Serial No. 195,608, of Richard D. Nichols, filed March 12, 1938, there is illustrated an improved method of and apparatus for producing flocculation which may also be employed to carry out the flocculation in the performance of the method of my invention and the flocculator apparatus disclosed in said application may-also be substituted for the ilocculator disclosed in the instant application.

Obviously those various changes in the details and arrangement of parts Without` departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended, and I therefore Wish not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed. K Having thus described and shown an`embodiment of my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

skilled in the art may make substantially along the axis of rotation of the liquid and closely adjacent to such axis.

tion with a occulator forv treating liquid, of means for directing liquid to be treated into said ilocculator, said occulator comprising a plurality of compartments, rotary agitating means in each compartment for rotating the liquid therein on horizontal axes, and means for coniining the feeding of the liquid from one compartment to the next substantially along the axis of rotation of said agitating means and closely adjacent to said axis of rotation.

3. A ilocculator comprising the combination with a plurality of compartments, of rotary agitators in said compartments positioned to rotate on horizontal axes, means for rotating said agitators to eiect rotation of the liquid in said compartments on such horizontal axes, and mechanism affording restricted openings for feeding liquid from one compartment to the next substan tially only along the axes of rotation of said agitators and closely adjacent to such axes.

4. The method of iiocculating liquid which` comprises directing said liquid to ilow successively through a pluralityof compartments, rotatingv said liquid in each compartment about a horizontal axis from an energy source independent of said liquid flow, and coniining the flow of the liquid from one compartment to the next to the axis of rotation of the liquid in the next compartment and closely adjacent to such axis of rotation. t

SAMUEL L. TOLMAN. 

